CLINTON — A community survey of local business owners and managers is being developed by the Clinton school district in an effort to gain insight about the quality of the workforce graduating from Clinton. 

“We would like to know what we’re doing well, what we need to improve upon and get information from the community on how we can improve our quality of graduates as this community sees them and needs them for their workforce,” said Nettles.  

“I would suspect if the survey goes well, we will find out some things we didn’t think about or know about and incorporate those into our main planning processes,” he added.  

“I think it’s a great thing,” said board member Rodney Rogers. “Small businesspeople are going to tell what they need and tell you what’s missing. It will help us fine tune our goals.” 

Board president Dan Matthews added the board wants to engage with the community to put together a plan that will “take us several years down the road with our students.”  

A school maintenance project for $50,000 that should be matched by a grant from the state of Illinois, was approved by the Clinton school board at Tuesday’s night meeting. 

Superintendent Curt Nettles explained the roof and the HVAC work needed at the junior high will easily meet threshold to obtain the full amount on the matching grant.  

“I think we’ll get the grant,” said district business manager Drew Goebel, “so we essentially just gained $50,000.” 

“If (the state) has the funding,” added Nettles. “But hopefully we’ll get that. Fifty thousand dollars is a lot of money. It would be a nice supplement.” 

In other business, the board: 

  Approved a resolution providing for the issue of approximately $3 million in bonds to increase the working cash fund of the district. 

 Heard a presentation from Clinton Junior High School social studies teacher Kelbey McMath about a project with his students involving historical research on some of the veterans buried at Woodlawn Cemetery.  

 Approved the hiring of the following: Alexa Beck, CJHS cross country coach for 2020-21; Christian Reynolds, volunteer assistant wrestling coach at CHS; Alan Coppbarger, part-time crossing guard; Patricia Bunting, CJHS custodian; Jennifer Jacobs, CHS teaching aide; and Ashley Huffman, CJHS teaching aide.